This classic pasta e fagioli recipe gives you a healthy, one-pot Italian bean soup made with pantry staples — hearty, high-fiber, budget-friendly, and deeply comforting, just like Nonna used to make.
For more easy bean recipes, check out our 3 bean pasta salad, Greek bean stew with rice, 3 bean orzo soup, and Mediterranean orzo and beans.
A Simple Nourishing Soup Made with Pantry Staples
This classic pasta e fagioli recipe is a cozy, one-pot pasta and beans dish made with simple pantry staples and ready in about 30–40 minutes 🍲. It’s hearty, budget-friendly, and perfect when you want something warm and filling without spending hours in the kitchen.
Here in our hilltop town in Umbria, Italy, this Italian bean soup is the kind of meal everyone loves. Louise and I make it often on quiet evenings, when we want real comfort food that still feels light and balanced 🌿. Beans, vegetables, olive oil, and pasta come together in a humble way that feels comforting and very Italian.
This soup is fiber-rich and protein-rich, naturally low in saturated fats, and a pillar of the Mediterranean diet 🥣. It also keeps very well, tastes delicious the next day, and reheats easily on the stove or in the microwave. Simple, cozy, and full of flavor, it’s the kind of healthy Italian soup you’ll want to make again and again.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Extra virgin olive oil: adds flavor and richness. Substitute regular olive oil or avocado oil.
- Onion: builds a sweet, savory base. Substitute shallots or leeks.
- Carrot: adds natural sweetness and color. Substitute more celery or a small zucchini.
- Celery: gives depth and balance. Substitute fennel or skip if needed.
- Garlic: adds bold flavor. Substitute garlic powder in a pinch.
- Sage: a classic herb in traditional pasta e fagioli that adds a gentle, earthy flavor. You can use dried sage or fresh sage leaves. Substitute thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, or herbs de Provence.
- Rosemary: adds a warm, cozy aroma and depth to the soup. Fresh or dried rosemary both work well. Substitute Italian seasoning, herbs de Provence, thyme, or a small pinch of oregano.
- Bay leaves: give the soup a slow-cooked, cozy flavor. Use dried or fresh bay leaves. Substitute thyme, a small pinch of Italian seasoning, or simply leave them out if you don’t have any.
- Tomato paste: adds richness and color. Substitute crushed tomatoes, simmered a little longer.
- Beans: kidney, pinto, or borlotti work best for pasta e fagioli soup. You can use canned beans or dried beans cooked at home. Substitute cannellini beans or chickpeas.
- Vegetable broth: keeps this a classic Italian soup recipe. Substitute water with a pinch of salt.
- Crushed tomatoes: add gentle acidity. Substitute diced tomatoes.
- Small pasta: ditalini is traditional. Substitute orzo, small shells, or gluten-free pasta.
How to Make Pasta e Fagioli
Step 1: Build the flavor base
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring now and then, until the veggies start to soften.
Add the grated garlic, sage, rosemary, bay leaves, and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes so the tomato paste turns a little darker and smells sweet and toasty.
Step 2: Simmer the soup
Add the drained beans, vegetable broth, and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. If you like a creamier soup, blend a small part of it right in the pot with an immersion blender. This is an easy trick that makes homemade pasta e fagioli taste extra rich.
Step 3: Cook the pasta in the pot
Stir in the pasta and keep simmering for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Stir often so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom. If the soup gets too thick, add a splash more broth. This is an easy pasta e fagioli recipe, and you can make it as brothy or as thick as you like.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy
Turn off the heat and taste one last time. Add more salt, pepper, or a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat. Serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil. Parmesan on top is optional.
Tips
- Start with a gentle heat, not high. In Italian cooking, vegetables are softened slowly so they become sweet, not browned.
- Let the soffritto melt. Onion, carrot, and celery should look soft and shiny, almost creamy, before moving on. This is the heart of the soup.
- Toast the tomato paste until it turns brick red. If it still looks bright, it’s not ready. This step gives depth without adding more tomatoes.
- Use two textures of beans. Keep most whole, but blend a small scoop into the broth. This is how many Italian nonnas make the soup naturally creamy.
- Cook the pasta directly in the soup so it absorbs flavor, not just water. Stir often and stay nearby.
- Let it rest off the heat for 5–10 minutes before serving. Italian soups always settle and improve with a short rest.
- Finish with raw extra virgin olive oil, never cooked. A drizzle at the end adds aroma and richness you can taste.
- Season in layers, not all at once. Add a little salt early, then adjust at the end when flavors are fully developed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This homemade pasta e fagioli actually tastes better the next day as the flavors come together. Just add a splash of water or broth when reheating.
It can. That’s normal for traditional pasta e fagioli. If it thickens too much, just stir in a little warm broth before serving.
Absolutely. Cook them until tender first, then use them the same way. Many Italian cooks prefer home-cooked beans for flavor.
That’s up to you. Some families like it spoon-standing thick, others more soupy. You’re doing it right either way.
Yes, but it’s best to freeze it without the pasta if possible. Add fresh pasta when reheating for the best texture.
A Dutch oven or heavy pot works best. It holds heat well and helps the soup cook evenly.
More Easy Bean and Legume Recipes
- Mediterranean Greens and Beans
- Mediterranean Lentil and Orzo
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Cauliflower Shawarma Bowl
- Dense Chickpea Sweet Potato Salad
- Turmeric Rice With Chickpeas
- Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia)
- Italian Pasta e Ceci (Pasta With Chickpeas)
- 25 High-Protein Meals with Beans
If you tried this Pasta e Fagioli Recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Easy Pasta e Fagioli Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated or pressed
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried or fresh – sub Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sage dried or fresh – sub Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves sub dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cans beans use kidney, cannellini, pinto, or borlotti beans – 15 ounces / 400 g each can or 3 cups cooked beans
- 5 cups vegetable broth or more for a thinner soup
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 15 ounces / 400 grams can
- 1½ cups ditalini pasta or 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste + black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the veggies: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a big pot over medium heat. Add 1 onion, 2 carrots, and 1 rib celery (all chopped or pulsed in a food processor). Stir and cook for about 3 minutes, until they start to soften.Add 2 cloves garlic (grated), 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon sage, 2 bay leaves, and 3 tablespoons tomato paste. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes, until it smells warm and a little sweet.
- Make it soupy: Add 2 cans beans (drained and rinsed), 5 cups vegetable broth, and 1 can crushed tomatoes. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer (small bubbles) and cook for 15 minutes.For a creamier soup, carefully blend a small part of the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender.
- Cook the pasta: Stir in 1½ cups ditalini pasta and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring often so it doesn’t stick. If the soup gets too thick, add a little more broth.
- Finish and serve: Turn off the heat and taste. Add more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes if you like. Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil and optional Parmesan on top.
Notes
- Extra virgin olive oil → Regular olive oil or avocado oil
- Onion → Shallots or leeks
- Carrot → Extra celery or a small zucchini
- Celery → Fennel or skip it
- Garlic → Garlic powder (in a pinch)
- Sage → Thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, or herbs de Provence
- Rosemary → Italian seasoning, herbs de Provence, thyme, or a tiny pinch of oregano
- Bay leaves → Thyme, a small pinch of Italian seasoning, or leave out
- Tomato paste → Crushed tomatoes (simmer a little longer)
- Beans → Cannellini beans or chickpeas
- Vegetable broth → Water with a pinch of salt
- Crushed tomatoes → Diced tomatoes
- Small pasta → Orzo, small shells, or gluten-free pasta
- Keep the heat gentle – Soft cooking makes veggies sweet, not brown
- Let the soffritto melt – Onion, carrot, and celery should look soft, shiny, and creamy
- Toast the tomato paste well – It should turn brick red, not stay bright
- Use two bean textures – Leave most whole, blend a small scoop for creaminess
- Cook pasta in the soup – It soaks up flavor, so stir often and stay close
- Let the soup rest – 5–10 minutes off heat makes it taste better
- Finish with raw olive oil – Drizzle at the end for real flavor
- Season in layers – Add a little salt early, then adjust at the end
- Store pasta e fagioli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months, then reheat gently with a splash of water or broth.
Nutrition
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Delicious! I used 1/4 tsp. dried sage and 1/4 tsp. dried crushed rosemary rather than fresh, used red kidney beans, extra celery and gluten free fusilli. My pasta took closer to 20 minutes to be al dente, but it was worth the wait. I didn’t use extra broth, and I found it to be a cross between a pasta dish and a soup, which was perfect for me. I will probably add more dried rosemary next time, as I love it, but this was simple and nutritious, and tasted wonderful. Thank you for the great recipe.
Hi Rene,
Thank you for sharing your delicious version — I love how you made it your own with dried herbs and gluten-free pasta. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and I agree — extra rosemary would be lovely!
Kindest,
Louise
Made this for game night and young and old loved it. Fresh herbs make it that more tasty! Thanks for sharing. I had limited time and still had this ready when they arrived!
facile e delizioso. My son and daughter are vegan but my husband didn’t miss anything with this recipe. PS absolutely no leftovers!
Amazing, Josephine!! No leftovers is such a great proof of concept 😍.
Thank you for taking valuable time to comment here, we appreciate you!
All the best, Louise
This was absolutely delicious and incredibly flavorful! It was just the bowl of comfort we needed after a tough day. Thank you!
Hi Larissa,
Wonderful – yes pasta e fagioli is like a hug in a bowl after a rough day. I’m very happy that you enjoyed it 🥰
All the best to you and your family.
Is it okay to cook beans with broth in an instant pot? Meanwhile, I would like to cook everything else on the stove and then combine ingredients. In addition, is it okay to use dried herbs?
Hi Lesley, you can certainly cook beans in an instant pot. For flavoring, we typically add salt, bay leaves, and sometimes, a clove of garlic. (We’ve never tried cooking with broth in an instant pot).
For herbs, you can certainly use dried ones, but we apply the 3:1 rule here:
So, for every 3 part of fresh herbs, you can substitute 1 part of dried herbs. This is due to the concentration of flavor in the fresh herbs 🙂
I hope this is helpful – let me know 💪
Hi Louise,
Your information about seasoning was very helpful. Thank you very much.
Perfect. My family loved it. Didn’t take long at all.
Hi Charles, that’s wonderful – I’m very happy to hear 🥰 Happy new year to you all!!
Excellent! My best pasta fagioli effort to date. I used Rancho Gordo’s King City Pink Bean, my favorite brothy bean.
Great tip, Donna! I am delighted that you enjoyed it 🎉
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🤗
I made it today and it turned out so flavorful, unbelievable. I skipped some ingredients and the frying part, but even that way, it is delicious!
Thank you very much ♥️
I made pasta fagioli for a soup and pie get together at my church. It was a great hit, delicious and very inexpensive to make considering that it lasts several days. I will be making this often in the cold winter months in Northern Colorado. It goes well with salad and bread.
Excellent, DELISH soup indeed!!
The fresh herbs create a depth of flavor to this dish. Absolutely delicious!